Little Giant Incubation Experiment - Day 21 - Hatch Day!

[lazy gardener]

I'm going to jump into this conversation, if I may. From my lurking around, what I'm reading, is that Silkies are notorious for hatching and overall health problems. Bantams tend to hatch before LF, and smaller eggs tend to hatch before larger eggs. Did the last 2 Silkies not even pip? One could argue that if they pipped early, before lock down, it might have been too dry for them, (causing the shrink wrapping) but that does not appear to be the case. And we know that Amy keeps her humidity high at lock down, so I'm led to believe that these particular chicks are prone to hatching problems.

 

[scflock]

I'm going to jump into this conversation, if I may. From my lurking around, what I'm reading, is that Silkies are notorious for hatching and overall health problems. Bantams tend to hatch before LF, and smaller eggs tend to hatch before larger eggs. Did the last 2 Silkies not even pip? One could argue that if they pipped early, before lock down, it might have been too dry for them, (causing the shrink wrapping) but that does not appear to be the case. And we know that Amy keeps her humidity high at lock down, so I'm led to believe that these particular chicks are prone to hatching problems.

And that is probably the case. I have never incubated silkie eggs, no need to, but the hens hatch healthy chicks. I was in no way saying that Amy did anything wrong. I'm curious about incubating small and large eggs together, because it is looking like I will be getting a larger incubator soon, and will have d'uccle to throw into the mix. I have hatched them with Polish, and the hatch times are about the same, but the cuckoo marans eggs are much larger, darker, and usually hatch a day later. I'm wondering if it would be a bad idea to run the marans and d'uccle together

 

[fiset94]

I'm going to jump into this conversation, if I may. From my lurking around, what I'm reading, is that Silkies are notorious for hatching and overall health problems. Bantams tend to hatch before LF, and smaller eggs tend to hatch before larger eggs. Did the last 2 Silkies not even pip? One could argue that if they pipped early, before lock down, it might have been too dry for them, (causing the shrink wrapping) but that does not appear to be the case. And we know that Amy keeps her humidity high at lock down, so I'm led to believe that these particular chicks are prone to hatching problems.

Great.. I had high hope that if I got these Air Cells straightened out that my first chicks to EVER hatch would be these silkie eggs.

Well... if I can get these little fuzzy butts to hatch... then anyone can!

 

[lazy gardener]

I would not hesitate to put large and small eggs together in the same bator. What about starting your large eggs a day before the banty eggs?

 

[scflock]

I would not hesitate to put large and small eggs together in the same bator. What about starting your large eggs a day before the banty eggs?

Sssssshhhhhh....
That's how I'm trying to convince my wife that I need another incubator

 

[scflock]

Great.. I had high hope that if I got these Air Cells straightened out that my first chicks to EVER hatch would be these silkie eggs.

Well... if I can get these little fuzzy butts to hatch... then anyone can!

I wouldn't worry, that is the first I have ever heard of that. Not saying it isn't true, but my hens always hatch 75-80% of their eggs, and I have never, ever, had one health issue with the chicks. Once you get a hen, the only problem will be trying to get her not to brood. I never have to incubate those eggs, and sell the hens to people who want them just to hatch other eggs

 

[rossfam06]

Sssssshhhhhh....
That's how I'm trying to convince my wife that I need another incubator

Hahahahahahah! ;?

 

[WVduckchick]

Sssssshhhhhh....
That's how I'm trying to convince my wife that I need another incubator

Lmao!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

That brings up a couple of interesting points, and I'm going to ask because I think it could help all of us.
First, that is an incredible hatch rate that I have never topped, even in my super duper Brinsea

Now, on the shrink wrap/no-hatchers. I wonder why, with all of your success with the other eggs, that the silkies were the ones not to make it. I can only set 24 eggs, so I normally only set one breed at a time. If I could set 48 eggs, I would set 3 or 4 breeds. Is it possible that incubating larger eggs has an effect on the bantams? If most hatched on day 20, is it possible that your temps may have been a little high, or spiked at some point, and the silkie eggs couldn't handle it as well as the others? I would probably also use the shrink wrapping as an argument against your admitted excessive candling, but since your other eggs fared so well, it could just all be coincidence.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving you a hard time at all. That was an amazing hatch, especially in a still-air. I just have the kind of mind that wants to question everything.
And finally: I can't believe you haven't found that other thread yet

It's not still air....did you miss the drama of one of my chicks getting scalped on the fan....lol I felt so bad. No my sister had added the fan kit before I "borrowed" the bator...lol My temps on the outside were 1-2 degrees higher than the middle and both thermometers were off set between the perimenter and middle so where they were held a good 99 range, but what I didn't know until halfway through was the eggs to the outside were incubating a good degree higher. A good share of them were pushed to the outside because I wanted to see them and well, you can't see the middle of the lg incubators, so .... that's when I started rotating the eggs.

The silkies....the only logical conclusion I could come to was egg/layer quality. When I had arranged to buy the eggs, I wanted a dozen spitzhaubens and 2 dozen mixed. (She has over 140 chickens in different pens.) But I wanted as many of the mixed to be from the silkie pen as possible because they have a showgirl roo in there, and that's ultimately what I want. Apparently silkies in this part of the world do not like to lay when it's cold. The girl I was originally supposed to get eggs from (with multiple show girls) had to cancel because hers were not laying either. Well, it turns out in the week she was collecting she only managed to get 3 from the silkies. So I was thinking maybe the cold weather and poor laying had something to do with it?

My two Japanese bantams (and they are small) hatched fine. The silkie eggs weren't small at all.

Oh and now I have to find that other thread....lol

 

[scflock]

It's not still air....did you miss the drama of one of my chicks getting scalped on the fan....lol I felt so bad. No my sister had added the fan kit before I "borrowed" the bator...lol  My temps on the outside were 1-2 degrees higher than the middle and both thermometers were off set between the perimenter and middle so where they were held a good 99 range, but what I didn't know until halfway through was the eggs to the outside were incubating a good degree higher. A good share of them were pushed to the outside because I wanted to see them and well, you can't see the middle of the lg incubators, so .... that's when I started rotating the eggs.

The silkies....the only logical conclusion I could come to was egg/layer quality. When I had arranged to buy the eggs, I wanted a dozen spitzhaubens and 2 dozen mixed. (She has over 140 chickens in different pens.) But I wanted as many of the mixed to be from the silkie pen as possible because they have a showgirl roo in there, and that's ultimately what I want. Apparently silkies in this part of  the world do not like to lay when it's cold. The girl I was originally supposed to get eggs from (with multiple show girls) had to cancel because hers were not laying either. Well, it turns out in the week she was collecting she only managed to get 3 from the silkies. So I was thinking maybe the cold weather and poor laying had something to do with it?

My two Japanese bantams (and they are small) hatched fine. The silkie eggs weren't small at all.

Oh and now I have to find that other thread....lol

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/967807/fully-formed-baby-chickens-didnt-hatch#post_15079392
Lazy Gardner started it...